New police officers introduced, stray cat behavior discussed
By Paula Scott
With no legislation or ordinances on the agenda, the August 1 regular meeting of the Ada Council was relatively brief; Councilors Oestreich and Coressel were absent and legal counsel Jane Napier attended via Zoom.
The meeting was conducted by Mayor Dave Retterer and began with unanimous support for paying of Village bills as presented. Details are in the attached packet.
An early unscheduled item was the introduction of two of three new police officers hired by the Ada Police Department: Clayton Eichman and Aaron Everhart, full-time; Connor Frazier, part-time (not present).
OPEN FLOOR TO PUBLIC
E. North Ave. resident Tim Rayl addressed council regarding a cat issue in his neighborhood. Rayle identified three residences where outdoor cats are being fed and allowed to relieve themselves in nearby yards. Rayl’s vegetable garden has recently been covered in cat poop.
Rayl asked that council tackle this issue, suggesting that an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of stray animals could improve the situation. He estimated that one neighbor was feeding and sheltering 12 cats in her yard. He noted that he's not the only resident affected and unhappy with the cat poop situation and that it’s difficult to speak up about your neighbors.
Mayor Retterer commented that council will have to consider the issue and that there are more stray cats in the village than there should be. He said that he would speak with police chief Alec Cooper about the issue as well.
Also addressing the council was Ray Finnegan of Aspen Energy regarding government aggregation of energy sources. Finnegan said that August 9 is the deadline for putting aggregation on November ballots.
CONTINUES
FISCAL OFFICER’S REPORT
Patty Navin reported that the Village received a request for donation of a pool pass from the Patrick Archer Memorial Softball Tournament and has information for anyone wishing to make individual contributions to the scholarship fundraiser.
POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT
Chief Alec Cooper requested permission to dispose of wi-fi hotspots that were made obsolete by the adoption of a new cell phone service provider. He also reported that since the last council meeting there had been 80 calls for service, 8 incident and offense reports and 3 vehicle accident reports. He also noted:
- A juvenile arrest for domestic violence
- A new Tahoe cruiser slated for pickup Friday
VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR
Jamie Hall reported on Public Works crews storm cleanup, which showed the north side of Ada was hit harder than the south side. There was major damage to two trailers, one at Parkview North and one on Northland. On Saturday, crews worked on roads and on Monday they began on debris from properties, which is expected to continue through the week.
Before the meeting adjourned at 7:02 p.m., Navin noted that the municipal pool closes on August 12, which is listed below among key dates in August and September.
Aug. 1, 2023 Regular Council Meeting 6:30 pm Municipal Building
Aug. 12, 2023 Ada Pool Closes for Season
Aug. 12, 2023 Farmers & Merchant Picnic War Memorial Park
Aug. 15, 2023 Regular Council Meeting 6:30 pm Municipal Building
Aug. 18, 2023 Tree Commission 12:00 pm Municipal Building
Aug. 21, 2023 Ada-Liberty Ambulance Dist. 5:30 pm 530 N. Gilbert St., Ada, OH
Aug. 26, 2023 Made in Ada Wilson Football Fest. 5:00 pm Dial-Roberson Stadium
Sept. 4, 2023 Labor Day-Village Office Closed
Sept. 5, 2023 Regular Council Meeting 6:30 pm Municipal Building
Sept. 15, 2023 Tree Commission 12:00 pm Municipal Building
Sept. 16, 2023 Harvest & Herb Festival 9:00 am
Sept. 18, 2023 Ada-Liberty Ambulance Dist. 5:30 pm 530 N. Gilbert St., Ada, OH
Sept. 19, 2023 Regular Council Meeting 6:30 pm Municipal Building
